Five years ago I saw an installation of Hans-Peter Feldmann‘s work for the first time at the Venice Biennale. I found the work to be hilarious, naughty and timely. I did not realize the artist was in his 70s, and has a simple and healthy attitude towards art. I’ve just done some more research on his work and life and realize that like me he was once headed down an entirely different path (his chemistry, mine math and business), and fiercely yelled no to following this path that was carved by others on his behalf. We also share some lineage with using art as therapy and the Beach Boys. Our main difference is that he doesn’t draw (all the paintings are found works that he’s intervened on), where I would likely repaint the works and add the fun bits.

Following are excerpts are from a charming interview I found on the Louisiana Channel (23 minutes). I recommend watching to anyone needing reminders of the levity and innocence that truly is art:

“Art” has become a trendy word nowadays. Everyone is thronging to see art. Everyone believes they have to have art, that they understand art. Some think they need to earn money with art. But art is an ordinary part of life, like sports, food and sleep. And most people forget that.

The value given to art today is it’s simply overvalued. Nowadays we have eating rituals that are just silly, you can order spinach as mousse or as jelly. That’s incomprehensible to me. When normal things such as art, food and so on – are put on too high a pedestal, something gets lost, comes unhinged. The majority of people who do that don’t even perceive the true content. They don’t want to , they want to make a ritual out of it.

Everyone makes art more or less. I make more, because I have more problems I need to resolve with it. But it isn’t my job, it can’t be a job. Make a job out of it and all is lost. You can’t be a “job enthusiast”. You can’t do that without making it meaningless. You can be a professional cook but not a professional eater.

…For most artists its a problem with the mother…that people have disorders stemming from their childhoods – that they must work through laboriously. I’d say 80 percent of artists are dealing with mother issues. – Hans-Peter Feldmann